Washing and cleaning machine



March 18, 1947. G, HN 2,417,557

v'msume AND CLEANING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 17, 1936 Patented Mar. 18, 1947 WASHING AND CLEANING MACHINE George Kuhn, Silver Spring, Md.', asflgnor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, 0hio,.a corporation oi. Delaware Original application October 17, 1936, Serial No. 106,080, now Patent No. 2,282,332, dated May 12, 1942. Divided and this application May 11,

1942, Serial No. 442,641

- (c1. sax-'2'!) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to the washing and cleaning of fabrics and articles and more pan-- ticularly to power'driven washing and cleaning machines.

This application is a division. of my copending application Serial No. 106,080, filed October 17, 1936, for Washing and cleaning machine, now Patent No. 2,282,332, granted May 12, 1942.

This application discloses improvements in, and

variations of, the washing machine disclosed in my prior filed application, Serial No. 92,500, filed July 25, 1936 now Patent No. 2,142,961 granted Jan. 3, 1939. V 1

Thi invention is directed to the prevention of tangling of the articles being washed.

I The invention in its several aspects will be understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical sectional view, illustrating one manner in which the interior of the tub may be divided into a plurality of compartments;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Like characters of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, reference character Ill designates the tub of the machine which is preferably cylindrical in form with a closed bottom II and an opening I! at the top which may be closed by a hinged cover IS. The tub I0 is secured to. a supporting pedestal II which also serves to support the operating mechanism for the washing element.

The washing element is rapidly reciprocated with relatively short strokes in the treating fluid contained in the tub, and includes one or more scrubbing surfaces which-also produce circulatory motion of the washing fluid and pulsations in the fluid which are suificiently vigorous to flex and agitate flexible articles being treated and 2 ment, upwardly at the center and along the element through the scrubbing zone, which may be considered as the space immediately surrounding the washingelement, then radially outwardly from the upper end or portion of the element and downwardly at the wall or the peripheral portions of the tub. Although the washing element may be constructed of rigid materials such as metal, hard rubber, Bakelite, etc., I prefer using elastic and flexible material such as live rubber, or suitable rubber composition reinforced with fabric, metal or other material where necessary. Greater circulation of the fluid and more gentle treatment 01' the articles is thus obtained. More specifically, the discs l6 and ll of the washing element may be flexiblerubber cups. These cups are disposed so as to be concave upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1,

and as they are reciprocated, the bottom of the cups flex and the walls,.particularly the upper edge portions, expand and contract producing a pumping action which sucks the fluid and the articles at the bottom of the tub radially inwardly toward the washing element and into the scrubbing zone. Disc I! should also be flexible but it should not possess the degree of concavity 01 cups l6 and I1. Instead it should have an upwardly inclined-flange on the order of that shown, so arranged that it functions to take hold of the articles brought into the scrubbing zone by the cupsl6 and i1 and to feed them to cause the fluid to be forced through the fabric treated, to circulate in general as indicated by the flow lines mile. 1, that is, toward the center of the tub at the lower end of the washing eleupwardly in a series of relatively fast jerks toward the disc or discs above. Disc I! should be semi-flexible, that is, more rigid than the lower discs and is constructed and arranged to slap or pound the articles. moving upwardly in the scrubbing zone and to push them and the treating fluid radially outwardly towardthe wall of the tub in the upper portion of the fluid. This disc is curved outwardly and upwardly as shown, with a concave lower surface, and in the form of the machine shown; is positioned to operate below the surface of the body of washing fluid. During operation, disc I! functions to project fluid and the articles therein, outwardly toward the wall of the tub. Upon reaching or nearing the wall of the tub, the fluid and the articles will be forced to flow downwardly toward the bottom of the tub due to the action of the bottom discs I and ll as previously described.

s The discs on the washing element should be spaced'apart a distance suincient to allow each disc to fully perform, its intended function. Al-

. The arrying and operating mechanism for the washing element illustrated includes a vertically disposed shaft 2. arranged and supported to be ,rapidly reciprocated and upon which the discs it to is 'are-mounted in any suitable manner,

such as disclosed in my copending application, now Patent No. 2,282,332.

A member desisnated 23 which is partly submerged in the nuid .when the washing element is inl'lormal or-intermediate position as indicated in MIL- nd isc n ructed and disposed so that durinx movement ofthe washing 818133;? itswill trike-or sla the surface of the d. 1 not 8 p 20 action, and other factors depend upon the shape,

I cifleally, this non-splashing means in the, form shown; isdecribedand'clalmed in another appli.

, cation; SerialNo.-442,639 flied May 11, 1942.

Where lars'e quantitiesoi certainarticles 'oi I clothingjsuch as those having long strings, belts, 4 traps-etc, having a natural tendencyto tangle, "are, being washed, it'ma'y be desirable to employ means reduce or prevent tanslins'thereot.

- Onesuch means is illustrated and consists of a pluralityoi artitions'ltai and 12' which divide the washing. or treating compartment or the tub.

ill intoja. pluralityoi separate compartments",

. l4 and-15;; These'partitions are secured at their 7 iouter" and lower educate the tub II and extend inwardlrto pointsg iust short oi the I washingjelement-so asjnotto interfere-with its operatiomr The inner "edges of the partitions preferably should be spaced from the washing 1 elementand its discs a distance 'sumcient to-prevent any. possibility otpinching or catching the clothes or a ml s 'betweenthe partitions andthe washing ,elen'len't'or or its discs; "With this arrangement it will be perceived that there is no -f possibility oi the clothes-or articles in onecompartmen't becominitangledwith clothes orarticles in any of the other compartments. Also withthis arransement it is 'possibletowash articles or i f dii'ierent-character attlie same time in'the same washingimachine OhviousLv, the number ,0! compartments into 'wh c 'the tuhis WEd m PU D G may be t'wo or more and the form and shape of the par- {without mixing or the articles;

titionsmaybe 'sucli as to fs'eciirelthe results de- For 'examplejthe partitions. ma extend. the wall ortheftub'radially inwardly any suitable distance short. of, the; washing-element,-

such as halfway for instance, which willbe sumcient' to overcomethe tendency oi the clothes to' tansle. Althoush'the inner oi' the partii-v tions illustrated are'fstraight and vertically dis- 2 posed, theseinneredses may have inclinedbr curved configurations. The aforesaid edsesuip races should with-the opposite side portions of the partitions-by smooth curved surfaces; to'avoid-sharp edges which might catch thesrti-i le being treatedao'r cause undue wear. The partitions; shown are imperiorate, but perforated artitions may-be utilized, including screen nd thelike. it will be understood that the use" of partitionsin the .tub to divide the washing com.

7 p rtinent-into a l ra ty par te compartments is: oi general applicationto washing- -and fluid treating and isnot limited in its vuse'to machines employing the form of washing elementherein disclosed.

1 rill-ms oiwashingelements other than is ment, said agitator having'means responsive to ever, it should be understood that the invention isnot limited to the particular forms of washing elements herein disclosed, but that other forms and arrangements may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention.

Although the ,washing elements disclosed herein are centrally oraxially disposed in the tub, it will be understood that other positions of the washing element, in the tub will produce satisi'actory results. /The washing element may be placed at any suitable off-center position and mayeven be disposed closely adiacentthe wall of the tub,ii desired. Additionally, the washing element may be actuated from the top of the tub rather than from the bottom as illustrated.

Inasmuch as the rate and direction oi circulation oi the fluid, the intensity oithe washing will bereadily perceived that any. or all of these.

factors may be 'modifled as desired tomeet any particular requirements.

Due to the-unique character of the circulatory motion obtained in the machine 01 my invention the shape orthe tub is immaterial, and rounded corners or inclined walls or the like are unneccessary, because during-operation, the clothes or other articles :discl arged upwardly and outwardly upon the surface of the fluid impose their weight upon the otherarticles disposed at the outer peripheral portions oi'the tub and force these other articles downwardly and into the spherevof innuenceoithe-lower disc or discs of the washing elementij. I i

. It will be understood that the direction of -fluid circulation obtained during' operation oi the r washing elements may bereversed merely by inverting thesurfaces ot-the-discs of the washing elements. Y a ,1 a

.It will be obvious that changes may bemade in the form, location, relative arrangement and the materials of the several parts of the machine -disclosed' without departing from the principles of the, invention. Accordingly no intention is enterta'ined'to limit, the invention except. by the scope otthe appended claims.

Whatisclaimed isas follows: i v 1. Apparatus of the character described comprisingatubto receive liquid and articles to'be washed, an agitator mounted in the central portion 'oi said tub for vertical reciprocatory movethe vertical 'reciprocatory-movement' of the agitator through the liquid to produce a-unidirectichal toroid oi-said liquid and articles tobe washed, ineansto reciprocate, said agitator verf tica'llylto produce said toroid, and a substantially vertical radial baiile extending iron the' side wall of said tub into proximity to said agitator a sufficient distance tosever, said toroid and reduce intertangling'oi said articles-to be;washed. 2. "Apparatus or the character described com prising atub to receive liquid and-article's to be washed, an agitatormounted in the central por-' tionor said tub forvertical reciprocatory' movement, said agitator havingmeans responsive to .tll'evertical reciprocatorymovem'ent oi the, agi- .tat'or'ithrough, the liquidjto produce a' unidirec tional toroid oiflsaid liquid.and articles to be washed, neans' to recipro ate said agitator verticallyto produce said ,toroid, and a plurality oi Number circumferentially spaced substantially vertical radial bames extending from theside wall 01' said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name 3 Date 923,342 Diederichs June 1, 1909 15 1,930,241 Labisky Oct. 10,1933

' Number Number 149,675 5os,42o

Name Date Heinrich Marf'l, 1922 Geldhof June 21, 1938 Turner June 7, 188'! Loweke Aug. 1, 1939 Kramer Dec. 5, 1933 Resch Apr. 28, 1914 Witsel Nov. 16, 1869 Wayland Sept. 28, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date German J an. 29, 1902 British Aug. 26, 1937 

